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Description
Catch-22 is like no other novel. It is one of the funniest books ever written, a keystone work in American literature, and even added a new term to the dictionary. At the heart of Catch-22 resides the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero endlessly inventive in his... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis
Cast of Characters/Important People
- Yossarian: The protagonist of Catch-22, he is a pilot in the senseless war that provides the backdrop of the story.
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Memorable Quotes
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“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; but as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to.”
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“What is a country? A country is a piece of land surrounded on all sides by boundaries, usually unnatural. Englishmen are dying for England, Americans are dying for America, Germans are dying for Germany, Russians are dying for Russia. There are now fifty or sixty countries fighting in this war. Surely so many countries can't all be worth dying for.”
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“But I’m afraid you have it backwards. It is better to live on one’s feet than die on one’s knees. That’s the way the saying goes.”
First Sentence
It was love at first sight.
Table of Contents
Authors & Contributors
- Joseph Heller (Author) - widely regarded as one of the best post-World War II satirists
Other Contributors:
- Robert Andrew Parker (Illustrator)
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